Jerusalem, 8 November, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Israel Defense Forces abandoned plans to demolish illegal structures at the Yehuda Junction near Hebron, despite an earlier decision to raze them immediately following a deadly terrorist attack that killed two soldiers.
On October 23, Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Reitman and Sgt. Yuval Shai Suilem were murdered in a shooting attack at the junction. During a visit to the scene, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich agreed to demolish all the illegal structures in the area, in addition to the terrorists’ homes, to eliminate a security threat.
However, following a petition filed by the terrorists’ families, the High Court of Justice ordered a freeze on the demolitions.
The Religious Zionism Party condemned the court’s intervention, saying it undermined security.
The IDF Spokesperson responded that “Enforcement operations in the area are continuing in accordance with the law and operational priorities.”
